The Best Festive Nail Varnishes

L-R: Barry M 'Starlight', Model's Own 'Jack Frost', China Glaze 'Cleopatra', Models Own 'Dancing Queen' and Nails Inc 'Alexa Sequin'

L-R: O.P.I 'Play the Peonies', Essie 'Carry On', Nails Inc 'Tate', Jessica 'Venus Was Her Name' and Nails Inc 'Motcomb Street'

Now the festive season is in full swing, it is a great excuse to crack out the glitter nail varnishes. I've picked 5 of my favourites perfect for Christmas parties and 5 bases that work really well layered with the glitters or by themselves for a glossy plain manicure. These polishes offer a multitude of combinations, a few of which I have suggested below.

'Tate' is a deep red by Nails Inc which is opaque with two coats and works really well with a new offering from Barry M called 'Starlight'. The packing is super cute but the formula is quite gloopy. However, the thicker nature of the polish is packed with glitter and means the particles stick to your nails more easily. I love the stars included in this polish but you need to make sure to seal them well with a top coat otherwise the points can sticks up and catch. I will definitely be sporting this on Christmas Day.

The next combination is different to the traditional dark shades of this time of year but I think is so pretty and reminds me of fresh snow. The base is 'Play the Peonies' by O.P.I which is a pearlescent white with the tiniest hint of a pink undertone. Applying two thin layers of Model's Own 'Jack Frost' on top, the combination gives a subtle iridescent glow. 'Jack Frost' is again packed with glitter but in comparison the particles are much smaller and have a bluey green tinge to them.

In terms of the darker hues 'Venus Was Her Name' by Jessica is a dark yet vibrant purple, Essie's 'Carry On' is similar but a much deeper rich burgundy and finally 'Motcomb Street' by Nails Inc is a wonderful inky blue. My top picks for glitters which look amazing on top of these include 'Cleopatra' by China Glaze - a thin formula filled with a majority of tiny particles of antique gold and a few flecks of iridescent glitter similar to those featured in 'Jack Frost', another varnish from Model's Own which this time is full of chunky, different shaped glitter with a range of green blue and gold hues running through it. And finally a relatively new release from a collaboration between Nails Inc and Alexa Chung packaged in the new bottles is 'Sequin'* polish - a black base filled with bright gold particles.

What are your favourite festive nail varnish picks? xxx

February Favourites | 2014 |

I know that we are half way through March now but I couldn't resist posting about my favourites from February now I've got some time to concoct more posts. This installment features make up, nail varnish and body care - I hope you enjoy it whether you read or listen about them. I also added a little bit of an update at the beginning of the video too.

1. Revlon Colour Stay Concealer: I've spoken about this at length on my channel and its definitely taken the place as my new favourite concealer. The texture and pigmentation of the formula is amazing, it is easy to blend, long wearing and not at all ashy or orange. It is the better version of Collection's Lasting Perfection concealer in my eyes.

2. Garnier Micellar Water: Finally, I think I've found my holy grail micellar water! I've reviewed quite a few different variations of micellar waters on this blog and always found fault in them but this offering from Garnier is amazing and for a bargain price of under £5. It removes make up well before proper cleansing (even stubborn eye make up) and leaves no greasy residue, just a lovely fresh feeling.

3. Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation: This is actually a surprise favourite. When these first popped up on blogs I was unsure as the name suggests a very sheer and dewy product. However, while the foundation is very viscous like I thought it would be, the pigmentation is very strong so only a little bit is needed to provide coverage for blemishes and pigmentation and therefore still looks very natural. The lasting power is also great and it is much more matte than I thought it would be too. The only downside is the lack of pump.

4. Revlon JBKBS in 'Crush': Full review here. An oldie but a goodie, I wore this a lot in Paris after shopping my stash. Long lasting, great pigmentation and just a beaut colour this is a great all round lip crayon. Also I didn't realise until I compiled my list that all the make up items are Revlon I'm not sponsored by them, promise!

5. Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter: On a daily basis I prefer body lotions to butters as I find they take ages to sink in so leave them for after the bath on an evening. However, the righteous butter is different - it leaves skin deeply hydrated and smooth like you would expect from a butter but only takes a minute or two to sink in which is great on a busy morning. The signature pink scent is also lovely.

6. Barry M Gelly Varnish in 'Lychee', Essie 'Mint Candy Apple' and Illamasqua 'Freckle': These are the 3 polishes that have graced my nails for the month of Feb. Lychee is an understated shade that is super shiny, goes with any look and can be layered with lots of different glitters. Mint Candy Apple is a blogger fave and I can see why as it is such a perfect mint shade. Finally one of the more unusual polishes that I have is Freckle which is a gorgeous light purple with matte different sized glitter particles in which creates a speckled effect on the nails.

7. Victoria Secret Body Sprays in 'Strawberries & Champagne', 'Amber Romance', 'Mango Temptation' and 'Aqua Kiss': I had been waiting to get my paws on these body sprays for ages and was really happy when I popped to the store near Oxford Street as they have a deal where you can get 3 sprays for around £25. I tried to get a mixture of scents including musky, sweet and fresh. I try and use them sparingly but love every scent I picked up.

What is your favourite product of the moment? xxx

NOTD: Essie | Aperitif | + a dupe!

Essie // Aperitif // £7.99 - Barry M // Blood Orange // £3.99

A while ago I went to a fancy dress party as Alice in Wonderland and was in search of the perfect red nail varnish. I knew I had a few different shades at home but at this point I was (and still am) a little obsessed with the Gelly range by Barry M. I picked up their slightly misleadingly named 'Blood Orange' red shade and then realised once I got home and compared it to my other rouge toned varnishes that it was basically exactly the same as one I already had from Essie - doh! 

The main reason I didn't return it however is because of the different formula. While Essie's 'Aperitif' is a classic 3 shades and you're golden job, with the Barry M Gelly range you can get away with a one coat super glossy manicure. In both cases the shade is a slightly orange toned red and that isn't where the similarities end. They also have very similar brushes in width and design, with Essie's being just a little more square.

If you are on a budget or looking for a fuss free and quick mani then go for the dupe. But if you do have those extra pennies and time or are just a bit of a nail varnish snob then the Essie is fabulous too. There is something luxe and special about applying an Essie polish and I'm pleased to have it part of my collection. The formula is a little more easy to control as it is thinner and therefore means you can build up more layers and have in theory a longer lasting paint job. 

Two reds for two different occasions - which would you pick? xxx

NOTD: Barry M | Gelly Nail Paint in 'Dragon Fruit' |

Barry M // Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint // £3.99 // 

There have been plenty of posts already where I've harped on about my love for Barry M, and I've been steadily adding to my stash of their latest release of Gelly polishes. This particular colour has gained a place as one of my favourites of the moment. Dragon Fruit is a perfect Barbie pink, with the tiniest hint of sparkle giving the polish more dimension, which you can see the best in the bottom picture. I think this colour looks best on finger tips as on my skin tone it looks a bit dull on the toes unless you jazz it up with some glitter.

The texture is thicker than normal polishes but took around two layers to become streak free with this particular shade. I also really like that the shine doesn't dull after a few days wear and I was chip free until around the 3/4 day. These version of nail paints have been really hyped up with people either loving or hating them, but I am most definitely on the love side! I've got my eye on a few darker shades for Autumn and Winter so am looking forward to picking them up and testing them out.

What are your opinions on the Gelly range? xxx

NOTD: Barry M | Gelly Nail Paint in 'Greenberry' |

Greenberry // £3.99 //

Since the Gelly Nail Paints were first launched I've been itching to get my paws on a few bottles. I think the colour range is really good, but I managed to restrain myself and only pick up 2 to begin with. This colour in particular really interested me as I think its quite different and very pretty for both fingers and toes (which I've done to match!) Its a great colour for spring and summer, but different to typical light minty greens that these seasons normally bring. Instead 'Greenberry' is a greeny turquoise shade, which is very bright!

Application is easy and the formula is pretty thick and opaque, like you would expect. One of the main selling points to these polishes is that they are meant to be chip resistant for a lot longer than regular nail varnish, however with this shade I was let down as it chipped within 2. I'm not sure if this is a one off or not as when I tried 'Lychee' it lasted for over a week, so I'm hoping with my next application I will be more lucky. I also found that this colour with my regular top coat, was not extra shiny than other polishes. Again I saw more difference with 'Lychee' in this department so I'm putting it down to the particular shade. On a more positive note one of the biggest plus points about this range is the very fast drying time.

I really do love this colour and it will definitely be gracing my finger tips on more than one occasion over the following months. I've always found Barry M to be a great affordable brand when it comes to nail varnish, its just a shame this shade didn't live up to some of the other claims the Gelly range promises xxx

NOTD: Pastel Sparkles

Barry M 'Berry Ice cream' // Model's Own 'Blizzard'

This is a quick NOTD post which is perfect for Spring time. I've already done a post on this lovely pastel lilac, which is such a pretty colour on its own. However, sometimes I think it can get a bit boring and as I love a bit of sparkle I thought I would pair it with 'Blizzard' from Model's Own. I got this for Christmas from Matt along with the rest of the Wonderland collection and it is definitely my favourite. It has filled a glitter shaped whole in my stash as I don't have any glitter polishes like this. I can't wait to do a full post on it but as a quick over view it is jam packed with glitter and would suit just about any colour you pair it with. A winning combination in my eyes - its a shame the photo doesn't do it justice!

What are your Spring nail polish picks? xxx

Review: Barry M Lipstick in '101'

I've been meaning to put up a lipstick review for a while as I have quite a few to share. From now on I will accompany these posts with lip swatches, rather than just on my hand as I find the former the most useful. I've been putting it off though because although it seems silly I'm a bit scared to put up zoomed in pictures of my lips! The swatches below are my first attempt so please be kind :)!

Anyway, onto the review... I received this lipstick in my stocking at Christmas which was a nice surprise as it was something I had wanted to try for a while. I love Barry M nail varnishes, but was yet to delve into their make up range. The rubber packaging is rather basic but I don't think its anything to complain about as it is sleek and simple. The formula isn't too bad either for a budget lipstick, although I did have to apply a few coats to get an even colour. 

By itself, the colour of this lipstick is nothing like how it is in the bullet! I thought this would be a peachy nude, but it comes out as a really milky pink shade, which washes me out completely and looks like I've coated my lips in concealer! The swatch down below doesn't show how white this looks in person, but as I have to apply quite a few coats to make it opaque as I have naturally pigmented lips I end up looking a bit ridiculous. 

I've found the best way to wear this is with a light pink lip gloss over the top to brighten it up a bit (like this one), dabbed onto my lips as a colour corrector before a brighter lipstick or the way Lisa Eldridge showed in a recent video like I did in this post - dabbing a favourite bright as a stain onto your lips then applying this over the top to stop it looking so 'dead'. I  used the Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick in 107 in the swatch below. 

Overall, the quality of this lipstick isn't bad but the colour is just awful for me! Luckily I've managed to find different ways to make it wearable - next time I will have to swatch them in store to make sure the colour matches up to that of the bullet!

Lipstick on its own.

Lipstick with pink gloss over the top

Lipstick over the top of Rimmel's shade 107

Have you tried anything from the Barry M make up range? Do you have any suggestions for a nice peachy nude? xxx

The Weekend Face #1

As you may or may not know, Matt and I met at Uni but he has since graduated and got a big boy job in London, meaning our relationship has gone from seeing each other every day to every weekend. We are quite lucky its not too far to travel, however I am an appalling packer and find it virtually impossible to pack light. I've been making a conscious effort therefore to try and squeeze down my make up bag for the weekend and plan ahead (although I am still terrible at this!) Among making my case a little lighter (the amount of skincare I take is not ok) trying to condense my make up bag has lead to me using well loved things I had forgotten about again and mixing up my make up routine. So I thought it might be interesting to show you what I take as a mini series on the weekends I go down to visit, but leaving out the standard staples as that would get boring!

Lets start with the base. I chose Healthy Mix as it gives light to medium coverage, which is buildable and also helps to perk up and hydrate my skin in this horrible weather (review soon) with the usual culprits of Benefit's Erasepaste for under eyes and Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer for any redness or blemishes. My new powder of choice - Rimmel's Stay Matte - was put to the test to set my foundation and keep oil at bay, but I'm not seeing much difference between this and my previous 17 Miracle Matte powder. Finally a dusting of 'London' from my Fashionista palette (amazing for travel) along my cheekbones combined a blush and highlight in one.

For my eyes, I chose to go for a natural look and began by lining the waterline with Rimmel's Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl in 'Nude' and swept 'Naked' from my Urban Decay Naked palette all over the lid. This palette is amazing for travel as it has shades for every occasion so I take it with me everywhere as you can probably see from the battered packaging! I took 'Virgin' also from this palette as my brow highlight and used Bourjois Intuitive eyeliner to deepen my lash line - still not too sure on this one but a review will be coming soon. Lastly, lashings of my two favourite mascaras completed this look. 

For lips I took two lipsticks - Kate Moss for Rimmel 107, an amazing deep red which I have been obsessed with recently and wear for both the evening or day and Barry M lip paint in '101' - a milky nude shade. As my eyes were pared down I either went for a bright pop of red or combined both of these together in the style of Lisa Eldridge to brighten up 101 which can be a bit dead by itself.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! Let me know what you think of these products xxx

NOTD: Barry M | Berry Ice Cream |

Nail Paint // £2.99 // 10ml 

This may not be a typical colour for this time of year, but if you are getting bored of the berries and darker shades, this is a lovely choice. It would look great with a tan in the summer, but I'm not one to stick with the conventional seasonal colours all the time and so wear it all year round. A glossy lilac, this varnish is lovely by itself but can be jazzed up with glitter layered over it too. To achieve an opaque finish, I layered 2-3 applications as it is such a light shade. I'm a big fan of Barry M polishes as they perform really well for being such a bargain price.

It is available from the Barry M website or most drugstores - however, it is useful to note that I think the name has changed from when I purchased it and is now called 'Ice cream purple' (I prefer the previous name). I also like the look of 'Peach Melba' and 'Raspberry'.

What Barry M shades do you like best? xxx

NOTD: Princess Nails

No7 Stay Perfect in 'Pinky Pure' £5.50 // Barry M Glitter Nail Paint in 'Pink Iridescent' £2.99

At the moment I've been really into layering glitter over the top of my plain nail varnishes to make them a bit more interesting and brighten up the dull weather. In this NOTD I've started with a few coats of Stay Perfect by No7 in 'Pinky Pure' and then layered on Barry M's 'pink iridescent'. I really like the combination of the two as I think it looks girly while still being a little understated and elegant and that's why I named it princess nails :). I havn't included a picture of the No7 bottle as it is pretty grotty and old but you can see the glitter above. This combination lasted up to a week on my nails without any serious chips which I think is really good going. I never normally wear 'pinky pure' by itself as I think it can look a bit streaky, needing 3-4 coats to get an even and opaque finish, but with the glitter I get a lot of compliments on my nails and think it is a great combination for many occasions.

Have you tried any of these colours before? What would you recommend from both brands? xxx

NOTD: Barry M | Coral |

Barry M Nail Paint in Coral // £2.99

Out of all Barry M's products, their nail paints are my favourite. They have a great selection of colours, glitters and cracking polishes and now they have introduced their gelly line too which delivers high shine to your nails much like a gellac/shellac manicure. The one gripe I do have though is that the formula can be very hit and miss - sometimes it last forever and is a dream to apply, other times it chips in less than a day. This particular varnish falls in the latter category as you can see from the pictures above there was already some tip wear after less than a full day of wear. 

You can also see from the pictures that it is much more of an orange shade than a true coral. In the bottle it does look more pinkey than orange but this doesn't translate to the nails and instead is almost identical to 'Block Orange' - another Barry M Nail Paint that I own. 

All in all it isn't the best of Barry M's nail varnishes due to formulation and shade so I wouldn't repurchase, however there are lots of other great shades from the Barry M collection which are a hit for me, for example this shade here.

What do you think of Barry M Nail Paints? xxx

Beauty Haul

I have been a very naughty girl today and had a bit of a splurge at Boots and John Lewis... I couldn't resist getting some new products that I have read so many rave reviews about to test out myself :) I will be doing full individual reviews of these products, so expect to see some in depth posts about most of them once I have had the chance to give them a proper test. As an overview I purchased:

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser: I was sooo excited about this purchase! I have seen so many reviews on various blogs and youtube channels claiming what a miracle product this is so I am really keen to test it out myself...I'm hoping it will work just as well for me :) It was also cheaper than I expected it to be, so that was a bit of a bonus!

Batiste Dry Shampoo: Bit of a boring one, but out of all the dry shampoos this has always been the one I go back to. I normally get the pink one but thought I would try the 'wild' bottle this time.

Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit facial wash: This is another one that I have seen heavily recommended for my skin type and as I had run out of the wash I was using at home, I thought it would be a good time to try out this particular wash.

ProVoke Touch of Silver shampoo: I had also run out of my John Frieda purple shampo which helps tone out the brassiness of blonde hair when the colour starts to fade, so to replace it I bought this product which I had heard good reviews about. I need to make sure I don't keep it on too long though as it can turn your hair purple :\!

Barry M Nail Paint in Berry (308): This wasn't a planned buy but as I was in Boots anyway and I have been looking for a nice pastel purple I decided to buy this as my pastel blue from the range is pretty good quality. I would also like to purchase a minty shade so if anyone has some suggestions of a good brand, please leave a comment or tweet me!

Palmer's Natural Bronze: After thinking about purchasing a gradual tanner for a while, I saw some good reviews of this and I love other Palmer's products I decided on this one. It was also half price in Boots and as it is so cheap anyway this cost me only a little over £2!

Bourjois Chocolate Bronzing Powder: Again, this is another product that I have seen numerous positive reviews about and as I needed a new bronzer thought it would be a good purchase. It is also in the shape and smells of chocolate so that is another plus point for me!

Denman bag brush: I have been after one of these for ages as on a night out I can never fit my hairbrush in my bag unless I take a huge one, and anyone who knows me knows that I am constantly brushing my hair!! So this will be a very handy little purchase, and at around £3 it was a bargain.

Clarins Hydra-Matte Lotion: I got this in a tester size as I don't really want to shell out on a full size if it doesn't do anything for me. I am a big fan of Clarins so am looking forward to trying this out, especially as I have quite oily skin it will be fab if it works well.

Clarins Pure and Radiant Mask: Again this is in a tester size for the same reason and I am really looking forward to trying this out too.

Have you used any of these products and what are your thoughts on them? xxx

NOTD: Barry M | Neon Pink |

For my first 'Nail of the Day' post, I have chosen my perfect holiday colour that I wore on my toes for Turkey, which is Neon Pink Nail Paint (040) by Barry M. I really like Barry M products as they have a lot of colour choice, however I can find that the quality and colour can be a bit hit and miss. This shade did not let me down though, it is so vibrant and can perk up any wardrobe and looks especially good with a tan! I used two coats to get the desired colour, which I thought was pretty good as with some budget nail polishes you need to apply quite a few to get a decent, opaque colour. The fact is is neon means it is bang on trend too :)

Colour in day light (most true photo of the colour).

                      

Ring from New Look

Have you tried this nail varnish? What other colours from Barry M do you suggest? xxx

OOTD: Rosy's Leaving Do

Hey guys,

As you know, it was my friend's leaving party over the weekend and so thought the outfit I wore for that would be a perfect first outfit post. I wanted to be dressed up for the occasion but also have a summery feel to my outfit (and I wanted to wear the new dress I bought for holiday!) Unfortunately, I couldn't wear heels in the end as planned because I sprained my ankle a few weeks ago and it hasn't fully recovered yet! And I didn't have time to paint my nails to match either :( But will be doing a post on NOTD soon!

Ring and Charm bracelet both Tiffany

Forever 21 earrings

What I wore

* Dress by Missguided

* Nude Heels by New Look

* Blueberry nail varnish by Barry M

* Bag from a friend

* Earrings by Forever 21

* Ring and charm bracelet by Tiffany

I would really recommend Forever 21 for affordable jewelry - they have an amazing selection at good prices.

What the outfit looked like on:

Cardigan from Primark

How I did my hair:

Messy dressing table from getting ready!

    The makeup I wore:

L-R: Maybelline Roller Colour in Twiring Taupe, Urban Decay in Midnight Cowboy and Mac in Deep Truth

                                     

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Blush

On crutches after spraining my ankle!

       xxx